


An Awkward Encounter

by killerwhaletank



Series: The Hackley School [4]
Category: Pundit & Broadcast Journalist RPF (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 10:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11644566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerwhaletank/pseuds/killerwhaletank
Summary: After learning that they share a homeroom, Anderson immediately starts to regret his and Andy's one night together. And it isn't until gym class when they finally decide that they need to talk about it.. or at least Andy does.





	An Awkward Encounter

"Shit."

Anderson dropped the tray of rather disgusting-looking institutional food on the table and took a seat in the blue plastic chair. His eyes were not focused on the task at hand, but rather across the crowded cafeteria, to where Lin and his new roommate Andy, were talking back and forth in the payment line.

"Shit, shit, shit."

"You've been saying that a lot today, Andy," Stephen commented, as he stabbed at the congealed cheese and pasta concoction on his own tray. He stuck the fork in the pile of food and pushed the tray away; dinners at Hackley were always better than lunches, simply because they were held in the Greeley dining hall, and not the school itself. Stephen wouldn't feel awful if he didn't eat his lunch. He folded his arms against the table and leaned in closer to Anderson. "Want to tell me what's up, or should I try and guess it?"

Anderson gave Stephen a look and narrowed his eyes. They stared at each for a long moment, the din of the cafeteria around them growing louder, and before Stephen could continue with his train of thought Jon and Keith came and sat at the table with them. Anderson sighed heavily, thankful for the distraction; he didn't want to have to try and explain to his best friend that he'd gotten fucked by the new kid in a hotel before school even started.

Though there was a conversation happening around him, Anderson was only focused on Andy. Those bright hazel eyes -- were his eyes even open the first time they met? -- focused on Lin and Lin alone, as if he were afraid to look anywhere else. Keith and Jon were lost in a conversation about sports, Stephen just trying to keep up. For a second, Stephen grabbed Anderson's attention away from Andy, and that's when the table shifted again.

"What's up, cats and kittens!" Lin, all smiles, nearly bouncing as he walked, took a seat at the table with Andy not two steps behind. Again the color drained from Anderson's face, though this time he was unable to hide it. "Guys, you know Andy, yeah?" A nod here, a nod there, and a quiet hello. Lin was the first one to note that now they would probably have to use last names as a nickname for at least one of us, which caused Jon and Stephen both to laugh. "We can call you Coop."

Anderson shot a glance at Lin. "Or we can call him new kid," he said with a nod. He turned to Andy and nodded again, and it wasn't until then that he really got a good look at this Andy Cohen. He was cute, a little chubby for his taste but still on the adorable side. He had fluffy hair just like Jon's, though it seemed that Andy took greater care to try and tame it. He'd sat at the table like he belonged there, introducing himself to everyone around him except for Lin, and Anderson.

Andy was quiet for a minute, giving a moment's pause before laughing so loudly that other tables were starting to stare. "Or you could call me that," he said with the slightest nod. "Or... you know, Andy's fine, too." Anderson looked up and said absolutely nothing before returning to the can of Diet Coke on the tray on front of him, sipping it from a straw. Andy's laughter made everyone else at the table also start to laugh, which only embarrassed Anderson further.

Anderson paid no attention to the conversation around him. His friends were not only carrying on as if he weren't even there, but doing so with someone they barely knew. Anderson scoffed and poked his food with the plastic fork once more. I knew him, he thought to himself. I knew him better than anyone else at this school, possibly in this time zone. He glanced up at Andy, still laughing, curls still bouncing as he spoke animatedly about something.

Anderson's trance was broken by the sound of Stephen clearing his throat. He looked to Anderson and followed his line of sight to Andy, and then back to Anderson. "Dude," Stephen said, after a mere second of deduction. Anderson's ears were always the first to blush, and turned a bright red. It was Anderson's quickness to blush that made Stephen realize that his own thoughts were dead-on. "Oh my god. Anderson." Stephen scooted his chair closer to Anderson and leaned in close enough to speak in hushed tones. "When-"

"Like, a week ago?" Anderson asked with a little shrug of his shoulders. He glanced over at Andy, chin in the palm of his hand, his full attention focused on Lin. "I don't know, Stevie. We were... both at that Marriott downtown."

Stephen's eyes flew open in shock. "What the hell were you-" His train of thought was stopped by the bell to sound the end of the period. He sighed heavily and slumped down in his blue plastic chair, watching everyone get up around him, including Anderson who was now staring at the tray balancing in one hand. "Andy."

Anderson paused, looking up from his tray for just a moment before shaking his head. "Later," he said after a moment of silence. He turned to Stephen and felt a little smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "I promise. We'll talk later, okay?"

~*~

Fifth period was when the upperclassmen all gathered for physical education. The varsity and junior varsity athletes always got a pass, which only left a handful of juniors and seniors sitting on the bleachers, waiting for the three gym teachers to announce what sport they would try to organize first. Anderson had very little athletic ability, and this was always the least favorite part of his school day. He sat on the bleachers, surrounded by Stephen and Keith, with Lin and Andy sitting among a number of Lin's drama friends, and though he was being talked to, Anderson wasn't listening to any of it.

All Anderson heard were groans when it was announced that they would be doing track. Anderson snapped to and perked up; he may not have been able to play sports, but he could definitely run. Summers often found him jogging through Central Park, or running down the beach in Sag Harbor where his family's beach house was. With any luck he could just grab his headphones and trot around the track for the entire period and forget about life entirely.

And so the next day, fifth period found the boys out by the track, all dressed in the same grey athletic department T-shirts. Anderson stood with the Bluetooth headphones hanging around the back of his neck, thumbing through his Spotify playlists until finally he landed on the punk rock mix he'd been putting together all summer long. He sighed and motioned to put his earbuds in, but was stopped by the sound of a somewhat familiar voice calling through the crowd.

"Andy!"

Surprised, he looked up and saw Andy jogging over to him, already out of breath. Anderson found himself chuckling. "Oh. Hey."

"O-oh hey?" Andy found himself asking. He snickered. "Wow." He stood still and folded his arm across his chest. "Is that really all you have to say to me?"

Anderson is quiet for a moment before putting the second earbud in. He moves to unpause the playlist, but with a sigh he tucks his phone into the waistband of his shorts. "No," he replied softly. "No, I'm... pretty sure if it were just you and I out here on this track I'd be telling you that I'm a little surprised to see you here-"

"I know that feeling," Andy nodded. "I didn't realize you were a student here when-" He cleared his throat; Andy's nervousness was palpable. "I mean, I didn't... think we were ever going to see one another again, y'know?" Anderson let out the softest chuckle and rested both hands on his hips. He knew he should have said something, but he was having a good time watching Andy try and put his own thoughts together. "I, I mean... I..."

"Andy," Anderson said with a little chuckle. "It... it's okay. It's just... it happened, y'know?" He gave his shoulders a dramatic shrug.

"Maybe," Andy said after a moment or so. He shrugged his shoulders in response. "Think we can-"

"Do it again?"

Andy closed his eyes and laughed once. "Or maybe just be friends."

In that moment, Anderson's entire body sank. He saw the look on Andy's face, the pure desire buried in his eyes that night. It radiated from every inch of Andy's body; Anderson could still feel it on his own skin, taste it on his tongue and lips with every word he spoke, even when he wasn't talking to Andy. He stepped back and scratched at the back of his neck. "Uh... yeah," he finally said, his voice cracking as he spoke. "Yeah, uh... no." He scoffed. "We can definitely... maybe just be friends."

Anderson did not give Andy a chance to respond. He pulled out his phone and immediately hit play, The Clash's "London Calling" playing through his ears, loud enough to drown out anything and anyone around him.

Usually he was the one doing the rejecting, not the other way around. And it stung more than he anticipated.


End file.
